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Kid Cudi
Scott Mescudi (born January 30, 1984), better known by his stage name Kid Cudi, is an American hip-hop recording artist and actor from Cleveland, Ohio. A rapper, singer-songwriter, guitarist and record producer, Cudi is signed under Republic Records, as well as his own record label imprint, Wicked Awesome Records. He first gained recognition after the release of his first official full-length project, a mixtape titled A Kid Named Cudi, which he released in 2008. The mixtape caught the attention of American record executive and rapper-producer Kanye West, who subsequently signed Cudi to his GOOD Music label, in late 2008. Cudi's association with West and the GOOD Music label, as well as his breakout single "Day 'n' Nite", led him to prominence. In 2009, Cudi's debut single "Day 'n' Nite", reached the top five of the Billboard charts. "Day 'n' Nite" was included on the mixtape as well as Cudi's debut studio album Man on the Moon: The End of Day (2009), which was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The End of Day also features the singles "Make Her Say" and "Pursuit of Happiness", both of which fared well on several music charts. In 2010, Cudi released his second studio album and the sequel to his first, Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager. The sequel was preceded by the release of two singles "Erase Me" and "Mr. Rager", which were both released to moderate success, with "Erase Me" peaking at #22 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album itself peaked at #3 on the Billboard 200, surpassing its predecessor in both sales and peak position. Very much like his debut, The Legend of Mr. Rager also went on to be certified Gold by the RIAA. In April 2013, Cudi released Indicud, his third studio album. The album, primarily produced by Cudi himself, peaked at #2 on the Billboard 200 chart, becoming Cudi's highest-charting album on several charts as well as that one. The album spawned the singles "Just What I Am", "Immortal" and "Girls". In 2009, Cudi had teamed up with American record producers Plain Pat and Emile Haynie, to launch their record label imprint entitled Dream On, in partnership with Universal Motown and Kanye West's GOOD Music. In October 2010, Cudi announced that he was teaching himself how to play the guitar and that he would be forming a rock band, now known as WZRD, with his longtime friend and frequent collaborator Dot da Genius. In February 2011, Cudi announced the Dream On record label had been dissolved due to creative differences. Later in April 2011, while performing at New York City’s Roseland Ballroom, Cudi announced he was launching a label on his own, Wicked Awesome Records. WZRD ultimately released their eponymous debut album on February 28, 2012, under Wicked Awesome and Republic. The album debuted at #3 on the Billboard 200 and at #1 on both the Top Rock Albums and Top Alternative Albums charts. In 2013, Cudi announced his departure from GOOD Music, to focus on Wicked Awesome Records; he left on good terms and is still heavily associated with the label, appearing on West's sixth album Yeezus, later that year. Kid Cudi has sold over 5.2 million digital singles and has worked with artists such as Kanye West, Jay-Z, Common, Mary J. Blige, David Guetta, Shakira, MGMT, Ratatat, Snoop Dogg and Michael Bolton. With his originality and creativity, as well as the emotion he conveys in his music, Cudi has amassed a large cult-like following among high school students, college students and stoners alike. In 2010, Cudi starred in the HBO series How to Make It in America, as part of the main cast, until its cancellation in 2011. He has also starred in two short films Maniac (2011) and Cruel Summer (2012), directed by Shia LaBeouf and Kanye West, respectively. Kid Cudi is set to appear in the upcoming 2014 Need for Speed film, and has also made appearances on television shows such as One Tree Hill, The Cleveland Show and the Fox comedy series Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Early Life Kid Cudi was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and grew up in Shaker Heights and Solon. He is the youngest of four children, with two brothers, Domingo and Dean, and a sister, Maisha. His father, a house painter, substitute teacher and World War II Air Force veteran, was Mexican-Native American, while his mother, a middle-school choir teacher at Roxboro Middle School, in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, is African-American. When he was eleven years old, Cudi's father died of cancer; his passing would have a significant effect on Cudi's personality and subsequently his music. Cudi attended Shaker Heights High School for two years before transferring to Solon High School. He was expelled from the school for threatening to punch his principal and would later earn his GED. Cudi studied film at the University of Toledo, dropping out after a year; he was determined to join the US Navy but was denied due to his juvenile police record. Musical Career '2003 - 2008: Beginnings in New York' Cudi first began rapping towards the end of his high school career, inspired by alternative hip hop groups such as The Pharcyde and A Tribe Called Quest. He moved to Brooklyn in New York City to pursue a music career. Upon his arrival, he stayed with his uncle: "I was working at this restaurant in Cleveland. There was this white dude in his 40s who was cool as shit and would tell me, "You’re funny and people like you. You need to move the fuck out of Ohio and just do this." My uncle told me I could come out there and stay with him in the South Bronx until I got on my feet. I’d never met him; this was my father’s older brother, the last of my father’s siblings, so I wanted to make that connection anyway. I moved in 2004 with my little demo and maybe $500." Shortly after he moved from Cleveland, a BAPE store opened up in the city, where he later applied for a job: "I discovered what BAPE was when I moved to NY, the store opened up shortly after I moved from Cleveland. I was always a fan of the brand but it just wasn’t something I could afford back then. I remember working there my first couple of weeks in the same uniform cause I didn’t own anything prior to being hired. So it was a dream come true to be able to work at the store I dreamed of shopping in one day. Over a couple of years I might have applied at the store 3 or 4 times before the last attempt that got me hired. I fell in love with BAPE because of their color selection and artwork. I love the style of their cartoons." While working there Cudi met future mentor Kanye West, for the first time after forgetting to remove an anti-theft device from a jacket West had purchased. His uncle later kicked him out, leading to his writing "Day 'n' Nite": "My uncle that I lived with passed in 2006. We were actually beefing because he forced me out the house when I didn’t have another situation set up, so I was bitter. I never apologized for it, and that kills me. That’s why I wrote "Day 'n' Nite." If he wasn’t there to let me stay with him those first few months, there would be no Kid Cudi. It fucked me up watching him go, but it was like, "I have to fulfill this destiny now for sure." Things were moving but they weren’t solidified yet. I had "Day ’n’ Nite," we were just getting started, and I was like, "This shit has got to pop off." I wasn’t taking no for an answer." In July 2008, Kid Cudi released his first mixtape, A Kid Named Cudi, in collaboration with New York street-wear brand 10.Deep as a free download. The mixtape caught the attention of Kanye West, whose then-manager Plain Pat, had introduced Cudi's music to him, subsequently leading West to sign Cudi to his GOOD Music imprint later that year. Kanye West first called upon Cudi to reference hooks for American rapper and mogul Jay-Z, and while in the studio Cudi and West went from working on The Blueprint 3 (2009) to 808s & Heartbreak (2008). Cudi’s assistance on the latter includes co-writing credits on "Heartless," "Welcome to Heartbreak," "Paranoid," and "RoboCop." West later stated that he and Cudi were "the originators of the style, kinda like what Alexander McQueen is to fashion…. Everything else is just Zara and H&M." Kid Cudi was a prominent songwriter and featured artist on 808s & Heartbreak, with "Paranoid" and "Heartless" being released as singles, while "Welcome to Heartbreak Cudi was promoted as an artist to watch for in media such as Rolling Stone, Vibe, The Source, XXL and BBC News's 2009 Sound of poll. MTV News reported on Cudi on a series of reports MCs To Watch In 2009. His first television appearance was at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards, alongside Travis Barker and DJ AM." peaked at #87 on the Pop 100.